Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria was in Kilmore on Friday 13 December to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Hume and Hovell expedition and the 100th anniversary of the Hume and Hovell Monument
This milestone event, held at Monument Hill in Kilmore, reflected on the 1824 expedition of explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hilton Hovell, whose journey through what is now known as Mitchell Shire remains a significant chapter in Victoria's history
The ceremony, which saw a commemorative plaque unveiled, also highlighted the contributions of the Kilmore community in erecting the monument in 1924 and celebrated its enduring connection to the region.
Following the morning ceremony, the Governor also visited the historic Old Kilmore Gaol, which was built in 1859 and is now a bustling cafe.
Guests enjoyed a tour of the gaol's storied bluestone walls, which once housed a maximum-security prison before becoming a butter factory and later an integral part of the Hume and Hovell Monument through the repurposed Warders Tower.
Mitchell Shire Councillor Andrea Pace acknowledged the layers of history represented at the Hume and Hovell Monument, paying tribute to the Traditional Owners of the land and noting the profound changes that followed the explorers' journey.
"The event recognised both the achievements of Hume and Hovell and the resilience and culture of our First Nations people who have called this land home for tens of thousands of years," she said.
"The Old Kilmore Gaol and the Hume and Hovell Monument are symbols of Kilmore's ability to honour its past while embracing the future."
